Most Russians collect visa documents on their own. This is due to the fact that the demand for travel to this European state is not too great. There is no need to create visa centers for the country when it can easily cope with the influx of people wishing to travel to the Slovak Republic. Doing it yourself is an easy process. The main thing is to fill out the form correctly and provide all the necessary documents in full. 
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It is important to know that all documents submitted by Russians to the Consulate of the Republic of Slovakia must be dated for issue no later than 1 month from the date of submission.
The Slovak Republic is one of the closest to us, so a visa to Slovakia is popular for Russians. It is especially often obtained when traveling by car in Europe, in order to comply with the rule of first entry (documents must be submitted either to the embassy of the country of primary residence or to the country of first entry). , you will also be able to freely enter the other 25 countries of the agreement.
- Short-stay Schengen visa category C– suitable for most people, allows you to stay in Slovakia and other treaty countries for up to 90 days in total for the last six months. Needed for all short-term visits for any purpose (tourism, transit, private visit to relatives, training and business meetings, etc.).
- Temporary residence permit (residence permit)– allows you to live in Slovakia for more than 90 days. In others, you can transit for up to 90 days. Obtaining such permission is much more difficult and takes longer.
You can also conditionally divide visas according to the number of entries/exits into single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry visas.
Visa Process
Each applicant must have a complete package of documents when applying. If you are submitting documents as a family, everyone should have copies, and not just one supporting document for everyone.
Required documents
- A passport with at least 2 blank pages for stamps, valid for more than 3 months after the expiration date of the requested visa. You also need to make a copy of the first spread and previously received Schengen visas from other passports, if available.
- . When registering through the embassy, they check at the entrance for a completed electronic form. It must be printed and certified personally by the applicant.
- 1 color photograph measuring 3.5*4.5 cm (see requirements below). They must have been made less than six months ago.
- Confirmation of the availability of funds for the trip received less than 1 month ago at the rate of at least 56 euros per day. For this purpose, certified bank account statements indicating the account owner for the last six months are suitable. You can also provide, instead of an extract, a certificate of employment, 2NDFL, traveler's checks or receipts for their purchase. For business visits, you must have a certificate from work about your salary and position. If your trip is being paid for by another person, you must provide proof of the sponsor's income and a copy of their passport.
- International with an insured amount of at least 30 thousand euros, valid for the entire trip.
- Confirmation of your intentions to return back. This could be a return plane ticket, a certificate of real estate ownership, or other documents indicating the existence of property.
- A copy of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. You need to make a photocopy of the pages with the applicant’s personal information and a copy of past visas.
Note! To submit documents to foreign citizens from the territory of the Russian Federation (except Belarusians), you will need to provide a document confirming your legal stay in the country (registration, visa, residence permit, etc.).
For tourists:
Hotel voucher (original paid booking). The Slovak Consulate does NOT accept printouts of unpaid reservations from Booking and similar online booking sites. You can also pay for the reservation in full, print it out and prove 100% payment with a certificate of debit from your bank account.
To travel by invitation to relatives:
- An invitation from a relative certified by a notary or the migration service (made less than 3 months ago).
- A copy of the inviting party's identity card and proof of his legal residence in the Slovak Republic.
For business visits, conferences, sports and cultural events:
- An invitation letter from a Slovak company, certified by a local notary. It should include the goals and timing of the trip, as well as sources of funding.
Attention! If you cancel your hotel reservation after receiving your visa, it may be canceled and you may be prohibited from further entry into Schengen. Therefore, you need to obtain a visa either in the country of your main stay and prove that you have a place of residence, or in the country of your first border crossing and inform in advance that you will also travel to other Schengen countries. The Slovak Embassy is monitoring this.
You can download the official one, depending on the purpose of the trip.
Hotels where you can get the original voucher
When traveling on your own for tourism purposes, you may have a problem finding a hotel that will agree to send you the original voucher by mail. To make it easier for you to find them, we offer you a small list of hotels, collected based on reviews from tourists:
- Penzión Fantázia – Poprad. Before sending, they can send you a scan by email for verification, and can also send additional documents if desired (receipt, certificate of registration of a hotel business
- Ibis Bratislava Centrum – Bratislava.
- Pension LIMBA – Liptovsky Mikulas – Jasna (village Demänovská dolina).
- Villa Beatrice – Tatranská Lomnica. You can book through booking and ask for a voucher. You will need to pay half the cost, which is not refundable in case of cancellation.
- Bastion Apartments – Bratislava.
- Hostel BARNO – Kosice. For 2.3 euros, a voucher is sent by 1st class letter, which takes approximately 12 days.
- Children under 14 years old can be included in their parents’ passport, but older children must have their own passport.
- A separate completed application form for the child with the signature of the parent.
- A copy of the birth certificate.
- Notarized consent to leave and a copy thereof (only from parents who will remain in Russia and are not accompanying the child).
- The photo size must be 35*45 mm.
- The background is light.
- The photo must be of high quality, not blurry, without retouching, on standard photo paper.
- The face should be clear, the skin color should be natural.
- The face should not be covered by hair, accessories or sunglasses.
- There should be nothing superfluous in the frame, only the face and lower part of the shoulders. The face should occupy approximately 70-80% of the frame.
- The photograph must have been taken less than six months ago.
- Children under 12 years old.
- Persons who have already undergone a biometrics procedure over the past 59 months (but not earlier than September 15, 2015).
- Persons from whom it is physically impossible to take fingerprints.
- The consular fee for processing documents is 35 euros.
- If you need a visa to Slovakia urgently, you need to pay a double fee of 70 euros, and the application will be reviewed within 3 calendar days.
- There is no need to pay for children under 6 years old. Also exempt from paying fees are disabled people and their accompanying persons, schoolchildren and students under 25 years of age when traveling for study, and close relatives of EU citizens.
- Payment is made at the Consulate cash desk during the submission of documents, only in euros. Money is not returned, even in the case of a negative decision.
Most hotels can be paid via SWIFT - an international bank transfer system, as well as by credit card. A letter with a voucher takes on average 1-2 weeks. Some hotels send them free of charge by registered mail, while others will require you to pay extra for delivery.
It’s better not to book a dubious hotel, as the consul may have questions about them.
Documents for children
A separate visa is issued for children. This will require additional documents:
Photo requirements
Slovakia presents requirements established by the international civil aviation organization ICAO. Usually photo studio workers know all the requirements, but it’s a good idea to check them.
Biometrics
Since September 2015, to obtain any Schengen visa, you must undergo a biometrics procedure, which consists of digital photography and fingerprinting. The procedure is carried out on the day of submission of documents at the visa center or the Consulate of Slovakia, therefore the personal presence of the applicant is required:
The following categories of persons are exempt from the procedure:
Validity and visa period
You can apply for a visa no earlier than 3 months before your trip.
Most applications are processed within 5 business days after submission, but in rare cases these deadlines can be extended to 30 days.
Typically, visas are issued with entry corridors for 30 days, 6 months, 1 and 2 years, and also for 5 years. The number of days of stay is most often limited to the days of the booked hotel.
If this is not the first time you have received Schengen, by providing copies of old visas you can count on receiving a multiple visa for a period of 1-5 years. At the same time, the maximum number of days spent in the Schengen zone on any short-term visa cannot exceed 90 in total over the last six months (counting from the expected date of new entry).
Visa cost
Where to get a visa to Slovakia
The consulate in St. Petersburg works only with residents of the North-Western Federal District.
Residents of the Ural, Siberian and Volga Federal Districts can apply for a visa to (Gogol St., 15).
Residents of the Kaliningrad region can obtain a visa to Slovakia at (F. Engels St., 52a).
Conclusion
Slovakia is quite loyal to Russian tourists, and if you have all the documents, getting one is not a problem. However, please note that all the data you provide must be real, otherwise you may receive a refusal or cancellation of your visa in the future.
Slovakia is known for its ancient castles and impressive landscapes. To visit this state, Russians need to obtain a Schengen visa.
The visa center of the Slovak Republic in Moscow is located on the 2nd floor of the Sirius Park business center, exact address:
- Kashirskoe highway, 3/2, building 4
How to get there
If you are planning to get to the Slovak visa center in Moscow by metro, then you should know that a free transfer runs from Nagatinskaya station to the Sirius Park business center every 10 minutes. You can identify it by the corresponding plate on the windshield. Boarding the transport from the Nagatinskaya metro station is done at the Nizhnie Kotly Platform stop.
If you don’t want to use a transfer, you can walk from the metro (about 20 minutes walk), or take 2 stops by ground transport. Trolleybuses 8, 40 or buses 142, 3N are suitable. Get off at the “1st Nagatinsky Proezd” stop, from there it is still about 600 meters to the desired building. There is also a tram stop in the immediate vicinity; you can get here by tram routes 3, 16 and 49. To create a more accurate route, we recommend using Yandex.Maps.
Operating mode
Russian citizens can contact the Slovakia visa center to submit a package of documents for a visa from 09.00 to 16.00 from Monday to Friday. Applicants can receive completed documentation on weekdays from 11.00 to 16.00. The organization does not provide services and does not operate on public holidays of the Slovak Republic.
- Accepting applications: Monday-Friday: from 9:00 to 16:00
- Issuance of passports: Monday-Friday: 11:00 to 16:00
Telephone
The Slovakia Visa Center in Moscow provides consultations by telephone from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00 Moscow time. Contact by phone:
- +7 495 350-36-98
- +7 499 705-01-31
Applicants also have the opportunity to send an email to the Slovak Visa Application Center:
Procedure for submitting documents
Obtaining a Schengen visa is possible if you have completed the fingerprinting procedure. The obtained fingerprint data is stored in the common information database of the European Union countries. In accordance with the rules of the Visa Code, children under 12 years of age, people who are physically unable to do this, as well as government officials and their families are exempt from this procedure.
A visa application is allowed to be submitted no earlier than three months before the planned date of travel. It is recommended to apply no later than fifteen days before departure.
To obtain a visa, you must prepare the following accompanying documents in addition to the completed application:
- International passport;
- Russian citizen passport;
- Photo 3x4 (paste into the application form);
- An insurance policy that insures the life and health of a foreign citizen during his stay in the country;
- Copy of previous visa (if available);
- Documentary evidence of financial wealth that can be provided for in the country while traveling;
- Documentary confirmation of the purpose of the trip.
Documentary evidence of the purpose of the trip may include:
- Residential lease agreement;
- Travel agency voucher (in case of traveling on a package tour);
- Documentary evidence of the presence of real estate or other property in the country.
When a child travels to Slovakia, the following documents are required:
- Birth certificate and its copy;
- Notarized permission from the parents if the child goes on a trip without their accompaniment. This will also be required if the child will be traveling only with his mother or father.
If the applicant is denied a visa, an official letter is sent to him. In this case, the person can file an appeal. The document must meet the requirements of the legislation of Slovakia. To protect personal data, only the applicant is informed about the refusal and the reasons for it. Representatives of the Consulate provide information about the body that is authorized to accept and consider the appeal. After the reasons for refusal have disappeared, a person has the right to reapply and submit documents for a visa.
Registration at the Slovakia visa center in Moscow
To obtain permission to visit the Slovak Republic, Russians must obtain a visa. If you plan to submit documents through a visa center, you do not need to make an appointment. But if you plan to submit papers directly to the consular department of the Slovak Embassy in Moscow, then pre-registration is MANDATORY! For more information about registering at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Moscow, see.
Cost of services
Obtaining a visa is accompanied by payment of a consular fee of 35 euros. If you need to obtain a visa in an expedited manner, you must pay 70 euros. The collection is made at the visa center cash desk at the time of submission of the application and accompanying documents. You can pay in cash or by card. The currency used is Russian rubles.
In addition to the mandatory consular fee at the visa center, applicants are required to pay a service fee, which is 10 euros for each applicant over 6 years of age.
If the Consulate decided to refuse a visa, the money will not be returned. The fee is not charged for children under 6 years of age. There are other categories of citizens who are exempt from paying mandatory fees. You can find a complete list of such persons on the website of the Slovakia Visa Application Center.
Additional services
In addition to the basic services for accepting a package of documents at the visa center, applicants can receive additional ones. For example, filling out a visa application form together with a visa center employee, issuing a medical insurance policy for a visa, a photo for documents, courier delivery of a passport, etc. With a full list of additional items. services and their costs can be found on the website of the Slovakia visa center.
Document review period
Applications received from citizens are forwarded by visa center employees to the embassy for consideration. After the decision is made, the documents are returned to the visa center, where the applicant can pick them up. As a rule, the entire procedure (including sending documents) takes up to 10 days. When the request is urgent, the period is reduced to 3 days. The consulate has the right to extend the processing time to obtain additional documentation. The period may also be extended for a personal meeting with the applicant. The maximum period for consideration may be thirty days.
Official site
You can get acquainted with complete information about the Slovakia visa center and its operating hours, find out how to go through the procedure for obtaining a visa, and download instructions for filling out the visa application form on the official website.
To submit an application to the consular department of the embassy, it is necessary to fill out the visa application in electronic form in advance, as well as pre-register for the date and time of submission of documents for each applicant, including children, via the website:
Visa applicants are required to submit ten fingerprints when submitting their application.
Fingerprints are collected once every 59 months, except as noted below. Even though the applicant has already submitted fingerprints, the consular department must take fingerprints a second time in the following cases:
- doubts about the identity of the applicant;
- if it is not possible to obtain fingerprints from previous visa applications located in the unified visa information system (VIS);
- if the poor quality of past fingerprints held by the VIS does not allow their use in a new application.
The following are exempt from the obligation to provide fingerprints:
- children under 12 years of age;
- persons from whom it is physically impossible to obtain fingerprints;
- heads of state or government and members of national governments, together with their accompanying spouses, and members of their official delegation, when invited by the governments of member states or international organizations for an official purpose.
A visa application can be submitted no earlier than 3 months before the start of the planned trip.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR A SCHENGEN VISA
This list will help you prepare the necessary documents to apply for a visa. Please note that the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Moscow may also request additional documents or information, as well as invite you to an individual interview, if necessary to consider the application. Submission of the following documents does not guarantee automatic issuance of a visa.
Visa application;
Fully completed and signed by the applicant (2 signatures in paragraph 37 and on the last page). Filled in Latin letters.
For minors, the application is signed by the permanent or temporary holder of parental rights or guardian.
International passport;
Valid for at least three months after the last intended date of departure from the Schengen area, containing at least two blank pages and not older than ten years.
Additionally: a copy of the page with the details of the applicant’s foreign passport.
1 photo;
Complies with ICAO requirements - color, size 3.5 x 4.5 cm, on a light background.
Medical insurance;
Covering the entire period of stay or the first trip and valid for all Schengen countries. It must cover all costs that may arise in connection with repatriation for medical reasons, emergency medical care, emergency hospitalization or death of the applicant during the stay. The minimum coverage amount must be 30,000 euros.
A copy of the internal civil passport;
All pages containing personal data, information about the issued foreign passport, registration in Russia, as well as page 14 with or without marks.
Copies of the applicant's previous Schengen visas;
In the case of minors;
- Copy of birth certificate
- Consent of parents or legal guardians, with a notarized signature, is only required if the minor is not traveling accompanied by both parents/guardians. The exception is the parent who has exclusive parental rights (i.e., if the other parent is deceased or has been deprived of parental rights). In this case, you must provide a death certificate or court order.
- Copy of parents' valid Schengen visa accompanying a minor if visas are obtained at different times.
In the case of third country nationals;
A document confirming legal residence on the territory of the Russian Federation (for example, a residence permit, long-term visa or FMS registration), valid for at least three months from the date of expected return from the Schengen area.
In the case of persons not permanently residing on the territory of the Russian Federation - confirmation of legal stay in the Russian Federation and justification for applying for a visa in the Russian Federation, and not in the country of residence.
Visa fees;
Payment is accepted at the cash desk of the consular section only in cash in the euro currency unit.
In case of refusal to issue a visa, the consular fee is not refunded.
Consular fee for receiving and processing a visa application for citizens of the Russian Federation:
- Children under 6 years old are free;
- 35 euros (processing time is usually up to 5 working days);
- 70 euros (urgent processing up to 3 calendar days).
Based on the Agreement on Facilitation of Visa Issues between Russia and the EU, the following categories of persons are exempt from paying visa fees
a) close relatives - spouses, children (including adopted ones), parents (including guardians and trustees), grandparents, grandchildren of citizens of the Russian Federation and the European Union legally residing on the territory of the Russian Federation or the territory of one of the states - a member of the European Union;
b) members of official delegations who, on the basis of an official invitation addressed by a Member State of the European Union or the Russian Federation, take part in official meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programs, as well as in events held on the territory of one of the Member States or territory Russian Federation intergovernmental organizations;
c) members of national and regional governments and parliaments, constitutional and supreme courts, unless they are exempt from the need to obtain a visa on the basis of this Treaty.
d) schoolchildren, students, graduate students and accompanying teachers going on study or internship;
e) disabled people and persons who, if necessary, accompany them;
f) persons who have submitted documents confirming the need for a humanitarian trip, including to receive emergency medical care, and persons accompanying them, as well as to attend a funeral or visit a seriously ill close relative;
g) participants in youth international sporting events and accompanying persons;
h) persons participating in scientific, cultural or creative activities, including university and other exchange programs;
i) participants in official exchange programs between related cities.
10. Documents confirming the purpose of the trip;
INDIVIDUAL TOURIST TRIP:
- Voucher issued by an accredited tour operator;
- Confirmation of accommodation reservation issued by a legal or natural person providing accommodation in Slovakia:
If confirmation of housing reservation is issued by a legal entity [eg. hotel, pension, holiday home, hostel, etc.], you must provide confirmation of reservation or provision of housing with the signature of the responsible person and the seal of this legal entity.
If confirmation of housing reservation is issued by an individual [eg. property owner, person entitled to use the property] you must provide confirmation of reservation or provision of housing with a signature certified by a notary.
- Housing rental agreement;
- A document confirming the ownership of real estate in Slovakia (extract from the real estate register).
In cases where the housing provider directly confirms payment for housing, it is possible to book housing on the specified sites. In this case, the applicant must provide two confirmations - about the reservation of housing and about payment for housing issued by the hotel.
If the applicant prefers to book accommodation through the specified sites, after reserving accommodation in this way, he must contact the accommodation provider himself for payment and confirmation.
TRIP BY INVITATION:
- An original private invitation from an individual with a notarized signature of the inviting person. The invitation is valid for 3 months from the date of issue (certified by a notary).
- An invitation certified by the Slovak Foreigners Police Department.
- Original invitation from a legal entity with the signature of the responsible person and the seal of the organization/company. The invitation is valid for 3 months from the date of issue (certified by a notary). In exceptional cases, it is possible to accept a copy of an invitation from a legal entity, provided that the signature of the responsible person on the document is notarized.
DOCUMENTS CONFIRMING THE PURPOSE OF TRAVEL FOR CATEGORIES OF APPLICANTS DEFINED IN THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ON FACILITATION OF THE ISSUANCE OF VISAS:
According to Art. 4 of the Agreement between the EU and the Russian Federation on the facilitation of the issuance of visas, the following documents are sufficient to confirm the purpose of the trip:
a) for members of official delegations who, on the basis of an official invitation addressed to the Russian Federation, a Member State or the European Union, take part in official meetings, consultations, negotiations or exchange programs, as well as in events held on the territory of one of the Member States or the Russian Federation by intergovernmental organizations,
A letter issued by the competent authority of the Russian Federation or a Member State or the governing body of the European Union confirming that the applicant is a member of a delegation traveling to the territory of another Party to participate in the specified events, supplemented by a copy of the official invitation;
b) for entrepreneurs and representatives of entrepreneurs’ organizations
Written application from the host legal entity, company, organization, enterprise, institution, or their branches, state and local authorities of the Russian Federation or member states, organizing committees of trade and industrial exhibitions, conferences and symposiums held on the territory of the Russian Federation or one of the states -members;
c) for drivers carrying out international passenger and cargo transportation between the territories of the Russian Federation and the Member States on vehicles registered in the Russian Federation or one of the Member States,
A written appeal from national associations (unions) of carriers of the Russian Federation or national associations of carriers of member states providing international road transport, indicating the purpose, duration and frequency of trips;
d) for members of train, refrigerator and locomotive crews on international trains moving between the territories of the Russian Federation and Member States,
A written application from the railway transport organization of the Russian Federation or a railway organization (company) of the Member States indicating the purpose, duration and frequency of trips;
e) for journalists
A certificate or other document issued by a professional organization confirming that the person concerned is a professional journalist, as well as a document issued by his employer confirming that the purpose of the trip is to perform journalistic work;
f) for persons participating in scientific, cultural or creative activities, including university and other exchange programs,
A written request from the host organization to participate in such activities;
g) for schoolchildren, students, graduate students and accompanying teachers going on study or training internships, including as part of exchange programs or other activities related to training,
h) for participants in international sporting events and persons accompanying them in a professional capacity,
A written appeal from the host organization - the competent authorities, national sports federations of the Russian Federation or member states and the national Olympic committee of the Russian Federation or national Olympic committees of member states;
i) for participants of official exchange programs between sister cities
A written appeal from the heads of administrations (mayors) of such cities;
j) for close relatives - spouses, children (including adopted children), parents (including guardians and trustees), grandparents, grandchildren who decide to visit citizens of the Russian Federation or the European Union legally residing in the territory of a Member State or the Russian Federation,
Written appeals from inviting citizens;
k) for persons visiting military and civilian graves,
An official document confirming the presence of a burial and the safety of the grave, as well as the relationship or other relationship of the applicant to the buried person.
11. Confirmation of the applicant's financial support
Calculation of the required amount is 56 euros per day per person.
The documents provided regarding financial security must not be older than 1 month when submitting the application.
Confirmation of the applicant’s financial support is, for example:
- proof of employment (including salary);
- original bank account statement for at least the last three months, showing transactions;
- personal income tax form 2;
- traveler's checks, indicating the owner, as well as a receipt for their purchase;
- proof of sponsorship by a third party (for example, an invitation certified by the Department of the Police for Foreigners of the Slovak Republic, a sponsorship letter on behalf of the person paying for your trip (in free form) and any of the above mentioned certificates from the paying person.
- The applicant personally.
- When traveling together, with the same dates for leaving the country and entering the country, one of the family members can submit documents for the entire family when providing documents confirming kinship.
- For a sports, cultural or scientific purpose of travel, documents can be submitted for a group that leaves together and returns together (for example, sports groups, song and dance ensembles, orchestras, group excursions and trips for schoolchildren, etc.) or institution, etc. upon presentation of an official letter of trust issued by the responsible person of the sending organization.
- If the purpose of the trip is the same and the dates for leaving the country and entering the country are the same, one of the participants in this group can submit documents for a group that leaves together and returns together, upon presentation of a notarized power of attorney from the other participants.
- A representative of a tour operator accredited at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic can submit documents for the tour operator’s clients.
MEMBERS OF FAMILIES OF EUROPEAN UNION CITIZENS
The above list of documents required for obtaining visas does not apply to family members of citizens of the EU, EEC and Switzerland. For family members of citizens of the EU, EEC and Switzerland, visas are issued in a simplified manner.
Please note: According to the law on the residence of foreign citizens, family members of SR citizens are not family members of EU citizens, except in cases prescribed by law. Detailed information about the category of persons to whom the simplified visa regime applies to family members of EU citizens and the conditions for issuing visas to these persons can be found in the section “FAMILY MEMBERS OF EU CITIZENS”.
VISA PROCESS
Who can apply for a visa?
If the applicant is not required to submit fingerprints or if the applicant's fingerprints have been obtained within 59 months, the following persons, in addition to the applicant, may apply for a visa:
Please note: If the applicant has not applied for a visa in person, he may be invited to an interview to explain the proposed documents and details of the planned trip.